June 2005 Archives

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I am not
sure what really happens in this inscrutable debut feature from director
Shane Carruth but it was a lot of fun trying to piece it all together. Something
about time travel I'm sure but the rest is up in the air. So, how about this?
You watch it and let me know what you think is going on:
sschmidt@greenwichlibrary.org-Stephen

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With all of the recent excitement
about the real identity of Deep Throat, why not try a different take on
Watergate. The movie
Dick is a funny film starring Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams
as two teenagers who inadvertently get caught up in the Watergate scandal while
mailing a fan letter to Bobby Sherman. An excellent cast includes veterans of
"The Kids in the Hall", as well as a hilarious performance by Dan Hedaya of
Richard Nixon. A surprisingly witty film, especially considering the title.
-Stephen

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Pook has written music for films, TV, dance, and theatre in an
eclectic and evocative style of which this CD gives a good sampling. She draws
from many cultures and periods to produce music which is sometimes like Enya,
but often with a darker tone; the mix of classical instruments and modes, and
multi-cultural effects, is fascinating. Try the piece "The Last Day", and
you'll be hooked. The bad news: she doesn't seem to have done any other CDs
like this, although some of her film music is available.
-Richard

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I have been disappointed in New Order's more recent
releases, so when I placed this in the CD player, I was not expecting much.
However, instead of being disappointed, I was very pleasantly surprised. This is
probably one of the best albums I've heard so far this year. The sound is full,
lush beautiful - and danceable. There is even some references to their earlier
work as part of Joy Division in the more out and out "rock" tracks. I'll even go
out on a limb and say that overall, this is up there with Low Life,
perhaps even better.
-Annie

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These typically
elegant pieces, many of them achingly beautiful, are interpreted in a thoughtful
manner by Ms. Röling, which emphasizes their inherently graceful structure. In
these recordings, she does not display the technical polish Jean-Philippe
Collard brings to bear on his complete traversal of the Faure barcarolles (also
part of the Library's collection). But to my mind, the music does not suffer as
a result of her more deliberate approach. Given a chance to really breathe,
these pieces simply display different facets of their characters. An especially
intriguing inclusion is Impromptu no. 1 in E flat major, op. 25, which
hints at the more adventurous harmonic palette Faure would explore in later
years.
-David

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Film soundtracks can be pretty dicey as a rule. More often than not they are just a series of songs that have little in common with each other and even less in common with the film they are supposedly enhancing. If you've seen this movie, you probably couldn't help not to notice the music, which matches the film's mood perfectly. A good portion of the music on Brion's soundtrack is incidental music, used solely as a background for the scene. These pieces have more charm than most and stand out on their own but, the real attraction here are the four or five breathtaking pop songs Brion includes. Imaginatively produced and almost perfectly rendered, they make one wish that Brion would take some time off from his soundtrack work (he's also responsible for the soundtracks to Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) to release a proper album of his songs. -Stephen

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Having
enjoyed du Plessix Gray's biography of the real Madame Bovary,
Louise Colet, I
was really looking forward to reading the story of her parents. This book
certainly does not disappoint. Her mother and stepfather were Russian emigrés whose friends
and colleagues were some of the biggest names of the 20th century: Vladimir
Mayakovsky, Conde Nast, and Jackson Pollack to name a few. Their life stories
also run through some of the biggest events of the twentieth century including
revolution and two world wars. While their lives were indeed interesting, and
very glamorous, they were also quite shallow and sad. In the end I felt more
sympathy for Francine than either of her parents, who treated her with appalling
disregard.
-Annie

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New England and New York have well over
200,000 miles of historic stone walls, and this volume describes their history,
technique, and historic significance. The drawings alone are a pleasure to
browse. Reading this book will greatly enhance anyone's enjoyment of one of our
region's great treasures, by showing them what to look for in the walls
themselves, and in their surroundings. At the same time, many readers will gain
new insights into our local history.
-Richard

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Another exciting adventure story in a nautical setting can be found in Adam
Nicolson's Seamanship. An admitted
sailing novice, Nicolson teams up with George Fairhurst, an experienced sailor
who helps him select a 42-foot sailboat and then offers to pilot the boat along
the notoriously wild west coast of Great Britain. Nicolson does a great job of
describing the natural beauty of the islands, and narrating the excitement and
danger of North Atlantic storms. He provides some comic relief through Herve
Mahe, an eccentric Breton sailor who dislikes the French, but loves to cook!
It's also a character study as Adam and George learn more about each other as
difficult situations arise.
-Carl

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Nellie Taft was an
early champion of women's rights and a precursor of such policy-driven first
ladies as Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. She was strong, shrewd, drank,
smoked and gambled and displayed an astonishing venom for her husband's
opponents (especially Teddy Roosevelt) despite her otherwise Victorian
sensibilities. Anthony has written other first lady biographies in the same
vivid and absorbing style.
-Jane

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Learn how successful popular culture isn't about dumb and
dumber and instant gratification, but all about making you smarter or at least
raising your IQ. I believe this is the first full length explication of "The
Sleeper Curve". If you are remembering the Woody Allen movie Sleeper, you
aren't far off the mark. Anyway, this is the perfect book, because after all, it
is a book, and secondly, it makes watching Seinfeld for the nth time seem
perfectly reasonable. Go for it... check it out.
-Marcia

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In this irreverent look at "historical tourism," our macabre itinerary includes the National Museum of
Health and Medicine, where fragments of Lincoln's skull are on display and we
learn about the jinx that was Robert Todd Lincoln who was present at the
assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. The book jacket
says it best: "A road trip like no other -- a journey to the pit stops of
American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for
fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage."
-Jane

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All the Men in the Seaby
Michael Krieger is the exciting true-life story of the 1995 rescue of more than
200 men from a work barge sinking in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane
Roxanne. Although it is technical in spots, it provides interesting accounts of
the experiences of many of the survivors. Since the crew is behind schedule in
completing the installation of an oil pipeline, company officials decide to have
the barge "ride out" the storm instead of seeking safe harbor. The barge
survives the first passing of Roxanne, but the hurricane does a u-turn, and the
barge is pounded again by 40-foot waves. Massive leaks develop, the barge begins
to list and the crew is ordered to abandon ship. Only the heroic efforts of the
crews on 3 small tugboats (who risk their own lives) can save the men forced to
jump into the angry seas.
-Carl

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The American version of the cozy English mystery has to be Laura Childs' charming Tea Shop Mysteries which take place in Charleston, SC. Theodosia Browning has left the high-powered world of advertising to open a tea shop in the historic district of Charleston, in the heart of the South Carolina Low Country where she was raised. Her charming shop, the Indigo Tea Shop, is run by a creative and spirited staff and populated by quirky tea lovers and neighborhood shop owners. In Chamomile Mourning, the latest installment of the series,(Jasmine Moon Murder, Shades of Earl Grey, Gunpowder Green, English Breakfast Murder), Theodosia is catering the Poet's Tea during the Spoleto Festival and an auction house owner falls dead from the balcony and lands on her cake stand. A recipe of art forgery, fraud and deception blend to make this a satisfying mystery. Theodosia, and her dog Earl Grey (who has his own occupation as a therapy dog in the nursing homes) have developed a devoted following. You don't have to a tea drinker to enjoy these books. (Author Laura Childs is also the author of the popular Scrap booking mystery series which take place in New Orleans). -Kathy C.

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This book really doesn't have a
whole lot to do with tractors - though you do learn some things - and it's not
in Ukrainian either. Lewycka's debut novel tells the story of an elderly
Ukrainian immigrant in England, Nikolai, who marries a much younger woman of
questionable motives newly arrived from Ukraine named Valentina. His daughters
Nadezhda and Vera, try desperately to rid themselves and especially their father
of his new wife. The story is by turns hilarious and sad. Interspersed
throughout the book is the story of how Nadezhda and Vera's parents met, married
and survived the Second World War. In recalling her parent's past, Nadezhda
discovers that as bad as she is, Valentina is deserving of sympathy.
-Annie

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I don't know about you but, whenever I begin a book by Ian McEwen I get
the immediate feeling that I am in good hands. He is as close as we can get to a
master literary craftsman these days. His quiet confidence is once again on
display in Saturday, which is just the latest in his long line of fine
suspenseful novels.

The novel takes place in the course of a day. London neurosurgeon awakes early
and spots in the morning sky a plane on fire, heading towards Heathrow. This may
or may not symbolize that direction that this particular day will head for him.
I won't go into the plot too much, just to say that I found it refreshing to
read about a fictional character who is actually happy with his life. He's a
successful surgeon. He appears to still be very much in love with his wife and
has two well-adjusted and talented children, both of whom figure prominently in
the book. This happiness is suddenly shattered in a matter of moments and the
readers envy of Perowne quickly turns to revulsion at the circumstances he find
he and his family themselves immersed in.
-Stephen

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This sprawling, richly ornamented novel of Regency England
will appeal to anyone who enjoys tales of mystery and conspiracy; if you liked
Name of the Rose, for instance, you are likely to enjoy this book. Its
protagonist tries to unravel his family history through layer after layer of
gothic complications and plots, while negotiating an English landscape and
society reminiscent of Wilkie Collins. Despite its length, almost 800 pages, I
never wished it were shorter.
-Richard

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Sue Monk Kidd's newest book The Mermaid Chair is a great summer read. Set on Egret Island off the
coast of South Carolina, you can almost feel the wildlife, tidal creeks and
marshlands. Jessie Sullivan, age 43, has gone to the island where she grew up to
help her mother who is having a mental breakdown. While discovering what is
causing her mother's problems and how her mother's demons have affected Jessie's
life, Jessie falls in love with Brother Thomas. Brother Thomas is about to take
his final vows at the island's Benedictine monastery but is torn between the
woman he has fallen in love with and his devotion to the church. I'm sure the
many fans of Ms. Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees will enjoy this
book as well.
-Marilyn

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If you haven't already gotten hooked on the thrillers of Harlan Coben, (Tell No One, Gone for Good, Just One Look, No Second Chance) then don't read his latest book, The Innocent unless you're ready to run back to the library to check out his previous books. Coben's books are the equivalent of a roller coaster ride, you know the dips and turns are coming but you're never prepared for them. Matt Hunter is attempting to live a quiet life in New Jersey as a paralegal and put his past behind him. When he was a college student he was convicted of manslaughter when he accidentally killed another student while attempting to break up a fight. After being released from prison he began working for his attorney brother, got married and is now in the process of closing on his first house. His pregnant wife Olivia is supposed to be away on a business trip, but Matt receives a digital video of her in a hotel room with a strange man on his camera phone. As if that isn't stressful enough, he is being investigated in the murder of a nun who was a former exotic dancer. As evidence mounts again him he has to be several steps in front of the police to keep from returning to prison. -Kathy C.

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This 1986 novel has become known as a minor classic of speculative fiction; it is SF at its most socially provocative. What happens when an all-female, pacifist society with highly advanced biotechnology is invaded by a militaristic neighbor which decides to colonize and exploit their peaceful ocean world? Slonczewski doesn't opt for easy answers, as good people on both sides try to find the best solutions to the conflict. This is something we can identify with strongly, despite the strange setting of the story. -Richard

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Nancy Drew-Nickerson (yes, she
married Ned!) was a real person - "titian tresses" and all. Carolyn Keene, her
jealous college roommate, wrote those books based on stories Nancy told her and
shamelessly marketed them as fiction. As the real Nancy ages in her "memoirs"
she solves timely mysteries - thwarting evil Nazis and Nixon, too! A great
parody of and affectionate tribute to America's most beloved teen detective.
-Jane